Foot-accelerator.



W. H. THOMAS.

FOOT ACCELERATOR." APPLiCATlON FILED APR. 1. 1915 Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

firemen. n. THOMAS, or srnuonn, IOWA.

FOOT-ACCELERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ramme Au". 2a", 1918.

Application filed April 1, 1915. Serial No. 18,5?5.

To aZZ whom 276 may concern Be it known that I, Natural: H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spencer, within the county of Clay and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Foetulccelerator, of which the following a specification.

My invention intended for automobiles equipped only with a. hand throttle lever and provides means for controlling the speed of me motor by the foot independently of the hand and has for its objects; a greater convenience for the driver; a more perfect. control of the machine; and a larger degree of safety for the occupants of the car.

These objects I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure I is a view of the accelerator as attached to a Ford motor car with part of one cylinder broken away to show the carburetor and its connecting rod; and Figs. ll. Ill, IV, and V, are merely details of the more important parts in the mechanism.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts tl'iroughoui: the several views.

In this accelerator the pedal 7, which is operated by the drivers foot, is connected to one end of the rod 4, while the other end is connected to the offset end. of the angle which in turn is pivoted to one end of the bracket by means of the pin 6. The bracket 5 may be attached to any convenient lace. say the waterjacket outlet of the motor. One end of the rod 1 is made to slide in an opening in angle 2 and is connected to the other arm of the angle 3 by means of the shoulder book 10 while its other end is connected to carburetor lever 11 which operates the throttle within the mirlmrctcr. The other end of the angle 2 is connected by means of the pin 8 to the arm t -which is located upon the throttle rod ll of the machine. The springs 12 and I?) serve to keep the throttle closed or to close it atter either the hand or foot control or both are released.

The device operates as follows: pressing pedal 7 with the foot causes the angle 3 to rotate about the pin 6 which in turn draws the rod 1 toward the angle 2 at the time rotating the lever 11, which as before stated operates the throttle, and opens it, thus admitting more gas to the motor. If the pedal 7 is partly or wholly released the throttle is closed in the same proportion and the gas is shut oil in the same degree. Since the speed of the motor varies as the amount of gas admitted it can readily be seen that the speed will be increased or decreased the throttle is opened or closed. The fact that the rod 1 is permitted to slide toward the left in the angle 2 enables the foot accelerator to be used independently of the hand control. When the hand control is used the angle 2 is brought up against the shoulder hook 10 by means of the arm 9 and rod 14. As this arm 9 is moved it carries with it the angle 2 and the rod 1. opening or closing the throttle as before described.

Manifestly the rod 1 is free to move through the inner arm of the angle 2 without movement of said angle. When, however, the rod 1% is thrust forwardly to move the arm 9 and the outer arm of the angle 2 forwardly, the angle 2 will be rocked on its apex which bears against a part of the engine, as shown in Fig. I, and the inner arm of the angle, abutting against the shoulder hook 10 will move said hook and the rod 1 to rotate the lever 11 for the purpose before stated.

Having thus described and shown the construction and operation of my invention,

1 claim j 1, In means for the purpose described, the combination of an internal combustion engine, a carburetor connected therewith and having a lever, a suitably mounted bell-crank, a rod extending between and connecting the carburcter lever and one arm of said bell-crank and having an abutment, a rod connected to and extending rearwardly from the other arm of the bellcrank, an angle mounted to swingon its apex and loosely receiving in one of its arms the said connecting rod and having said arm arranged against the abutment on the rod and between said abutment and the throttle lever, spring means for closing the throttle, and a. rearwardly extending rod connected to the other arm of the angle.

2. In mcans for the purpose described, the combination of an internal combustion engine, a carburetor connected therewith and having a lever, a suitably mounted bellcrank, a cross rod extending between and connecting the carbureter lever and one arm of the bell-crank and movable by the bellcrank, a rod connected to and extending rearwardly from the other arm of the bellcrank, an angle mounted to swing on its apex and having one of its arms arranged to move the cross-rod Without 'interfer in with the movement of said rod by the bellcrank, spring means for closing the throttle, and a rearwardly extending rod connected to the other arm of the angle.

WALTER H. THOMAS. Witnesses:

G. A. BERGEMANN, CHAS. R. HOWE. 

